Today was the day I needed to draw a blood sample. I took my CoaguChek with me on holiday. After a few days of intense menstruation, I thought everything was okay. I expected my blood sample to be the same as all the times before.
My INR had increased way too much. I doubted if my Coagachek was okay.
I contacted the thrombosis service and they assured me the Coaguchek was okay. My INR should be between 2.0 and 3.0, and now it was 7.0. I was shocked because the whole of my life, it never got this extremely high. Now I knew why my menstruation was different. For now, an adjustment to my meds was the only thing needed.
That evening I wasn’t allowed to take my meds. I also had to draw a blood sample after two days to see if my INR had decreased. After these days, it was okay. I was relieved; I hadn’t taken many testing strips from home because they lose their function when they get too warm. It can be too hot in a tent and a car for those testing strips to stay functional.
I was happy and relieved. In case my blood wasn’t good, I had to go to a hospital. It wouldn’t be nice to need to visit a hospital in another country, again. Luckily I could spare my daughter this event.
